Can I move already?

Greetings ~

Well, I haven't been posting a lot, but I have been lurking and reading your postings and keeping you in my thoughts.

Been watching the in-town pastures and orchards all turning to houses and shopping centers. As they say, this ain't no Ag town any more - it's definately San Francisco Bay Area Suburbia. I hate it. (They dropped the Farm Report on the radio a year or two ago, so we aren't surprised - just so sad to watch the slow, agonizing urbanization of our little Ag town...) Anyway, suburbia is what we left 11 years ago when we moved here. Only consolation is that our house is gaining in value at a rediculously overpriced rate... hope the trend holds out through the summer, as we get to sell it this year!

So, I've started packing already. I'm not really unpacked from two years ago, but it's amazing how quickly I can fill an empty space or a horizontal surface. I'm not sure where all this additional stuff came from! I guess it's a special skill handed down from mother to daughter over the generations in our home!

Can't believe we bought our little 5 acres of Tennessee Heaven almost a year ago. It's been really difficult to get anything useful done from 2400 miles way. The pasture got mown late and weeds had gone to seed (I'm hoping it won't take *forever* to deweed it once we get there... gonna have to get some goats soon!), it took 6 months to build a gate and the beginning of a fence across the front (I am beginning to believe it when farm folks tell me that there is no such thing as being finished with fencing :) I've spent 150 hours (more, really, but that's what my log is currently telling me) researching and planning to put a house on that hill ... but DH is thinking, "Just put a little trailer on it - in case we find some 200 year old house on 20 acres that we can afford." He really does have the skills to do most of the renovation on an old house - but I'm not sure I'm ready to marry an old house yet. My brother and his wife are owned by a lovely Victorian Painted Lady in New Jersey, and yes, it is a life long commitment of servitude that they have given to that old house.

So, I've been lurking here and there, and working, and seemingly commuting to Los Angeles (Southwest Luvs Me) and maybe by Fall I can start job hunting in Putnam/White County, Tennessee. Well, that's the plan, anyway. So even though I haven't posted a lot, lately, I'm still here ;-) Thanks for being an inspiration throughout the years.

Take care everyone! Many blessings to you for the New Year.

--Karla